Homeless Veterans Essay

In spite of having many advantages, veterans over-represent in the homeless population. The question “Why?” begs an answer. Forty years have passed since the Vietnam Conflict ended and homeless veterans became a representative image in American society. Surprisingly, it appears there are no studies on the factors contributing

Karl Malantes explains in an emotional interview with CNN that, “When the peace treaty is signed, the war isn’t over for the veterans, or the family. It’s just starting” (“Veterans Quotes”) Homelessness for soldiers who are lucky enough to return home is a huge epidemic in the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, they estimate about 50,000 veterans are currently homeless (“FAQ About Homelessness”). The official definition of homelessness states “an individual who lacks housing or that must reside in a private or public that provides accommodations” (“What is the Official Definition of Homelessness”). Veteran Homelessness is correlated with gender and race, it has a great amount of causes including

One of the key factors that contribute to homelessness among veterans is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD affects a large number of military veterans from every war, though the rates differ depending on which war they served in, PTSD affected 30% of Vietnam veterans, 11% of Afghanistan veterans, 20% of Iraq veterans, and 10% of veterans who served in the Gulf War (How Common is PTSD). Half of veterans with PTSD do not receive the treatment they require and 20% - 50% of those who do receive treatment do not finish it (Robson). The lack of treatment is important considering that 45% of homeless veterans have some kind of mental illness (Paquette). The homecoming of a veteran has been related to that veteran’s degree of PTSD. Veterans with a negative reception upon their arrival tend to have harsher PTSD (Tull). It is no wonder then that, those who had the hardest time re-entering society, Vietnam veterans, among whom 30% have had PTSD, make up 47% of homeless veterans (coalition for the Homeless). These veterans had the hardest time out of any, when they returned public opinion was against them, and many were unjustly called “Baby Killers”. This critical rejection made it harder for Vietnam veterans to deal with their PTSD, because it held them back from discussing their experiences in war (Tull). Having

A majority of homeless veterans are older. “39% of homeless veterans were aged 51 to 61 years and 9% of homeless veterans were aged 62 years or older (compared with 19% and 4% respectively, for same aged groups of homeless non-veterans)” (Carissa van den Berk-Clark, and James McGuire). The older you get the more brittle you become. We should house every homeless veteran so they are not out in the weather and conditions without food or clean water.

According to the 2012 Annual Homeless Assessment Report released by the Departments of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), an estimated 62,619 veterans were homeless on any given night in 2012. The good news is that the estimate represents a 7.2 percent decline from the 2011 estimate and a 17.2 percent decline compared to the 2009 estimate ("Veterans," 2013). Although progress is being made, there is much to be done. There are veterans with the same needs as the general homeless population, but also veterans with severe physical and mental health disabilities, related to their service, that necessitate permanent housing with supportive services.

Every year the United States of America send a total number of 22.7 million men and women over the age of 17 overseas to fight for the protection of the country (Veteran Affairs, www.va.gov). That is 22.7 million sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, and other extended family members. When their service is complete many of these war veterans return home to their families, but some have no families to return too. On any given night, there are over 107 thousand veterans sleeping homeless on the streets of America; hungry, thirsty and without shelter (Veteran Affairs, www.va.gov). That is not say that the men and women who have families are safe from homelessness. A majority of the homeless veteran population comes from people who

Imagine one making a huge decision to leave family, friends, and a familiar lifestyle to go serve and protect their country for months or years at a time. Imagine one risking their life and putting forth their time just to come back to no home, money, or health care while have developed a mental illness. The government promises all of these benefits one may never see and they end up on the streets without a home finding ways to cope which may lead to addiction. A study shows that “There are estimated to be about 50,000 homeless veterans on any given night with about 1.4 million others at risk of becoming homeless, the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans said, citing government statistics” (Shaw). Many of America’s homeless veterans have served in World War II, the Korean War, Cold War, Vietnam War, and many other wars. Nearly half of homeless veterans served during the Vietnam era. Two-thirds served their country for at least three years, and one-third were stationed in a war zone. Homeless veterans all across America come from different backgrounds and homelessness does not discriminate against gender. These veterans, including males and females, suffer from homelessness due to: being unemployable; suffering economic hardships; battling substance abuse, and lacking proper legal aid. Yes, there are plenty of resources out there to assist the homeless veterans that may help some but there are still too many veterans living on the streets.

“It’s like the path of least resistance... After a while, your self esteem gets really low and you don’t feel competitive any longer… Like you are already defeated.” (Applewhite ¶ 17). A quote from a homeless veteran shows how even though he has tried to relieve himself of the homelessness, it does not always end with the outcome that he wants, which leaves him feeling defeated, as well as thousands of others. About ⅓ of the homeless population are veterans, and they are usually the ones that need the most help (VA Expands Partnerships ¶5). The struggle that homeless veterans face everyday in the United States is a growing problem that needs to be fixed because it will continue to get worse. The healthy and productive success of

Most homeless people are claim that they were/are veterans and is not getting any assistance from the government. There is hundreds of kids and or families living out in the cold streets or in homeless shelters. Statistics have proven that “the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) estimates that 39,471 veterans are homeless on any given night. Approximately 12,700 veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation New Dawn (OND) were homeless in 2010. The number of young homeless veterans is increasing, but only constitutes 8.8% of the overall homeless veteran population”.

About 1.5 million other veterans, meanwhile, are considered at-risk of homelessness due to poverty, lack of support networks, and dismal living conditions in overcrowded or substandard housing.

The majority of homeless veterans have service connected disabilities that are a direct result of military service; this contributes to a high risk of homelessness among veterans. Unique military skills that are non-essential in the civilian sector, combat related health issues, fractured family relationships and the lack of affordable housing are other factors. Many of them lack a social support network and/or someone to assist them with getting assistance from the government. They may be unaware of the different services they require and are

There are more than 500,000 homeless people in the United States.” In January 2014, communities across America identified 49,933 homeless veterans during point-in-time counts, which represents 8.6 percent of the total homeless population.” (http://www.endhomelessness.org/library/entry/fact-sheet-veteran-homelessness). 91% are male, 98% are single, 76% live in the city, 54%have a lingering mental and/or physical disability. “... veterans live with lingering effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance abuse…”(http://nchv.org/index.php/news/media/background_and_statistics/). We sit here on our electronics while there are homeless veterans that chose to fight for our country and now that they’re

Moreover, in most communities, especially the cities, these veterans who are in their 20s and 30s are found loitering around church buildings, shopping centers, and under the bridges due to the fact that they don’t have anywhere to stay, someone’s, you see them around traffic light signers on the street with placard written on, homeless veterans Vietnam war begging for money or food. This is a big disgrace to the United States at large, and has creates a huge problem since the government has been relentless to intervene to the crisis. However, according to the National coalition for homeless Veterans,

The social welfare issue homelessness and my population will be Veterans of the Vietnam War. The majority of homeless Veterans are mostly likely males, who are physically disable, poor, or lived in disadvantaged communities. This is a result of lack of support and lack of resources. Many risk factors that play a role in the Veterans homeless society is lack of support, isolation after discharge, and low housing availability. Many Vietnam veterans experience homelessness, the Housing and Urban Development reported that 62,619 veterans are homeless (Background on Veterans, n.d.).

Another solution to help end the homelessness crises in our Veterans is to make sure they are transitioned into meaningful, sustainable employment. Research has shown one of the risk factors for homelessness are lack of support and they experience social isolation after discharge. Programs need to be implemented though the Veterans Administration that implements a program for all returning Veterans that would help them integrate successfully into the main-stream